Green Energy Is Here And Now – Are You Doing Your Part?

Green energy is no longer a thing of the future.  Green energy is here and now, and you should know what it means and how to make use of it.  Not only will green energy save you a ton of money when used correctly, but it will also have an impact on the saving of our planet.  With that in mind, how can you say no to green energy?

Solar energy

Solar energy is using the sun as an energy source.  Solar energy has been around for many years and you may already be using it in some aspect.  Many people use solar energy in their landscaping and outdoor lighting.  If your outdoor lights don’t need to be plugged into an electrical outlet and automatically turn themselves on when it gets dark, then they are using solar energy.

The same concept that powers outdoor lighting using energy from the sun can be used to power your entire home.  This is done by installing solar panels in the roof of your house.  These panels will then connect to your home’s power source and everything that uses electricity will be using the solar power instead of the power supplied by your electric company.  Solar panels can be expensive to install but look for government grants before you spend your own money, this can cut down on the cost.  Most people who install solar panels as an energy source for their entire homes make their money back within five years or so by not having to pay an electric bill.

Wind energy

Wind energy works much like solar energy, except that it uses the wind to generate a power source for your home.  Wind power is created by turbines, or windmills, that generate power as they are turned by the wind.  A large enough wind turbine, in the right conditions, can generate enough power to take care of all of your energy needs.

Water energy

Water energy is a wonderful source of energy if you live near a running stream or creek.  It works just like wind energy except the running water turns your mill instead of the wind.  Water energy has been used on farms for many, many years in outlying areas that were late to get power from the electric companies.

Giving and getting back

You can use one or all of these sources of green energy to power your home and help to save the planet.  You already know that you are giving resources to the environment by not using up so much of the electric company’s power source.  But did you know that you can also get back from the electric company by using green energy to power your home?  You will have to check your local laws, and with your electric company, but in many places if you generate more energy than you use the electric company has to buy that extra energy from you.  Yes, you read that right, the electric company could actually pay you a monthly electric bill for the remainder of the years that you own your green home.

How Wind Energy Can Work For You

Wind energy is one of the simplest ways to reduce your use of fossil fuel electricity at home.  Wind is a renewable source of energy and can be used to power a generator large enough to significantly cut your electric bill, and in very windy areas of the country you may even be able to completely power you home with wind energy.  In fact, some city utilities have wind power plants to supply electricity to entire cities.

Wind energy is produced by wind turbines.  These are tall windmills with two or three blades.  The windmills are on towers and should be a minimum of 100 feet high in order to utilize the fastest wind and be above the turbulent winds.  This gives the turbine the most consistent spin.  The wind will then turn the windmill, which is hooked to a generator.  The spinning of the blades in turn spin the generator and produces electricity.  One large wind turbine can produce 1.5 megawatts of electricity.

Wind turbine energy can be used in conjunction with solar and hydro energy to produce more than enough energy to run a household and not reduce, but eliminate your electricity bills.  In addition to eliminating your electric bill, if you are on a power grid the electric company may have to purchase any extra energy you produce from you.  That’s right; you can get paid by your electric company each and every month using renewable energy to power your home.

There are federal, state and local grants typically available to assist you in remodeling your home to a renewable energy home.  This would significantly cut the cost of the remodel and you could recoup any remaining costs in a matter of a few years with the reduction or elimination of electric bills, especially if the power company has to buy the extra energy from you.

It just doesn’t make sense not to consider renewable energy for your home.  Whether you are thinking of remodeling your home or building a new home, look into renewable energy options.  Not only will it save you money by going green, it will help to save the environment.